Bangladesh’s inland and coastal shipping sector entered a new phase of digital transformation today (30 January) with the launch of an advanced “Lighter Vessel Management Software”, aimed at ending long-standing irregularities in lighter vessel operations and bringing full transparency to serial and allocation management.
The software was formally inaugurated at 10:30am at the Bangladesh Water Transport Coordination Cell (BWTCC) office at Kaderi Chamber in Agrabad, Chattogram.
Chief Engineer and Ship Surveyor of the Department of Shipping Mirza Saifur Rahman inaugurated the system as the chief guest.
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For years, stakeholders have complained about delays, irregularities, and lack of transparency in the process of assigning serials and allocating lighter vessels for cargo handling from mother vessels at Bangladesh’s seaports, particularly at Chattogram port’s outer anchorage.
The process remained almost entirely manual, involving handwritten applications, physical visits, multiple approvals, and repeated data entry.
